Anyway, that a more practical estate version of the French firm’s new offering within the D-segment would eventually be rolled out was something of an inevitability. After all, within the wider European market, estates account for 60% of all sales within this sector. The Germans, it seems, have a particularly voracious appetite for wagons.

This minor swelling of the 508’s proportions has obviously been induced to increase the amount of useable boot space, because an estate with a smaller boot than its saloon sibling would be a bit of a pointless exercise, wouldn’t it? The load bay floor is now 25mm longer than the saloon’s, and seats-up capacity has been increased from 487 litres to 530 litres, which to Peugeot’s credit is more than you get from a BMW 3 Series Touring (495 litres) or a Mercedes C-Class Estate (490 litres). Collapse the second row, and you’ll liberate up to 1780 litres.There is going to be a price to pay for this extra flexibility, mind, and while exact figures are yet to be confirmed for the UK, Peugeot has said a £1600 premium over the comparable saloon is probably in the right ballpark. So for this 178bhp, GT-Line petrol model - which is expected to be the most popular variant back in Britain - you’re going to be looking at a before options price of £32,830 or thereabouts.

There’s no shortage of adjustability in either the driver’s seat or steering column, and you can position yourself much lower down in the cabin than you could in those aforementioned range-mates. The dainty steering wheel makes for easy viewing of the 12.3in digital instrument cluster, which is itself graphically rich and easy to read - there’s no squinting required here. Peugeot has selected a fairly choice range of interior trim treatments for this GT-Line model, too, with wood panelling on the centre console and dash fascia looking especially classy, if not particularly pleasing to the touch.

The roof-line’s growth spurt means there’s now a comfortable amount of headroom in the rear, too. Even relatively lofty individuals shouldn’t experience much in the way of discomfort here, although the same trick hasn’t been pulled with regards to legroom. Unfortunately, this is still just as tight as it is in the saloon. Still, for a family with two, perhaps three kids to cart about, the 508 SW more than passes muster.

And that’s certainly no bad thing, because the elongated Pug’ is still just as tidy to drive as ever. There’s an impressive suppleness about the manner in which the 508 SW’s MacPherson strut front- and multi-link rear suspension deals with undulating road topography. Compressions are progressive and comfortably cushioned, while vertical travel in the opposite direction is kept closely under control over crests, too.

Select Sport mode and optional adaptive dampers tighten up the Peugeot’s body control even further, whilst also sharpening throttle response and adding a more athletic amount of weight to the steering. That steering is suitably quick off centre, too, and lends the car a reassuring sense of agility. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say the 508 SW feels like a genuinely entertaining car - even on the twisting coastal roads that made up our Portuguese test route - the additional handling confidence Sport mode seems to instill in the car’s chassis is by all means welcome.

It’s pretty tidy out on the motorway, too. Comfort mode adds an even greater degree of cushioning to the 508’s already pliant ride, while the 1.6-litre four-pot ticks away in an impressively urbane fashion. That motor lends the Peugeot a respectable turn of pace, too, pulling enthusiastically and from 2500rpm.

It’s shaping up to be quite an enticing package, this. But that’s not to say it’s ointment is entirely fly free. The eight-speed automatic transmission, for instance, is a bit too eager to revert back to shifting gears itself after you’ve tugged one of the paddles, even in Sport. And while there is a dedicated manual setting, it’s accessed through its own drive mode, so you lose the benefit of the sharper powertrain response and improved body control if you want to exercise total authority over the gearbox. That said, those who like to tow things behind their D-segment estate - there’ll likely be quite a few of them - will find Manual mode useful for reigning the Peugeot’s speed in when travelling downhill.

Having driven the 508 saloon in the UK, I’m also inclined to believe the SW might be afflicted by the same at-times crashy secondary ride, although on smooth Portuguese roads these intrusions didn’t seem quite as pronounced. That might also have something to do with our test car’s smaller 18in alloys.

Should I buy one?

In the same way I was a fan of the 508 saloon, so too am I fond of the estate. Even more so, in fact, because as a visual exercise I think it’s excellent.

Join the debate

Ouch, 33k before options. A fantastic looking car and a welcome return of the stylish big estate, but that's going to be a hard sell against the Germans, particularly with CH rates that are likely to be realtivley high with Peugeots inceasing reluctance to volume discount to the market.

Autocar writes: The load bay floor is now 25mm longer than the saloon’s, and seats-up capacity has been increased from 487 litres to 530 litres, which to Peugeot’s credit is more than you get from a BMW 3 Series Touring (495 litres) or a Mercedes C-Class Estate (490 litres).

None of which are compeditors ( at least nobody but Peugeot will think that ). The competion is the Superb and Passat etc. I don't know off the top of my head what those cars capacity is but seats up the smaller Octavia and Golf are over 600 litres. Peugeots own 308 SW is well over 600 litres, Toyota's even smaller Corolla which has just been anounced is almost 600 litres.

Which begs the question, where's the UK market for this car? Surely the 508 SW will suffer eyewatering levels of depreciation.

Autocar writes: The load bay floor is now 25mm longer than the saloon’s, and seats-up capacity has been increased from 487 litres to 530 litres, which to Peugeot’s credit is more than you get from a BMW 3 Series Touring (495 litres) or a Mercedes C-Class Estate (490 litres).

None of which are compeditors ( at least nobody but Peugeot will think that ). The competion is the Superb and Passat etc. I don't know off the top of my head what those cars capacity is but seats up the smaller Octavia and Golf are over 600 litres. Peugeots own 308 SW is well over 600 litres, Toyota's even smaller Corolla which has just been anounced is almost 600 litres.

Which begs the question, where's the UK market for this car? Surely the 508 SW will suffer eyewatering levels of depreciation.

Agreed. It's hard to see the merit in this product. Pricing is delusionally over-ambitious - almost to the extent that Peugeot aren't expecting to sell many. Which begs the question - why did they bother developing it?

Contract hire rates will be higher than the mass-premium German marques, and it is cramped compared to the (very highly regarded) Superb. Pragmatists buy estate cars - so this looks like an epic fail from the get-go.

Autocar writes: The load bay floor is now 25mm longer than the saloon’s, and seats-up capacity has been increased from 487 litres to 530 litres, which to Peugeot’s credit is more than you get from a BMW 3 Series Touring (495 litres) or a Mercedes C-Class Estate (490 litres).

None of which are compeditors ( at least nobody but Peugeot will think that ). The competion is the Superb and Passat etc. I don't know off the top of my head what those cars capacity is but seats up the smaller Octavia and Golf are over 600 litres. Peugeots own 308 SW is well over 600 litres, Toyota's even smaller Corolla which has just been anounced is almost 600 litres.

Which begs the question, where's the UK market for this car? Surely the 508 SW will suffer eyewatering levels of depreciation.

Agreed. It's hard to see the merit in this product. Pricing is delusionally over-ambitious - almost to the extent that Peugeot aren't expecting to sell many. Which begs the question - why did they bother developing it?

Contract hire rates will be higher than the mass-premium German marques, and it is cramped compared to the (very highly regarded) Superb. Pragmatists buy estate cars - so this looks like an epic fail from the get-go.

Epic fail is a touch harsh. At least it has a degree of style on its side. Not sure where you are posting from, but markets outside the UK may or do veiw cars differently to the UK so this may fare better in those. Although, as per my original post, I agree it's expensive, but then list prices are generally an irrelevance to most car buyers as most will be financed on various schemes. Assuming a healthy residual of 40%, CH rates will be based on a return value of around 13k, that leaves 20k to finance over 36, assuming a market ave APR, monthly payments are going to be around £600PM, which assumes no manufacturer incentive or discounting, which is unlikley, average for this class is around 30 - 35%.

It really is a nice design, but £33k for a mid spec Peugeot Estate. Wow. That does seem bullish. But if its a premium product deserving of premium pricing, it needs premium options, like a choice of gearbox, and the ability to spec without 'ugly kid' glass.

I am hankering after an estate rather than SUV, mainly cos I am sick of SUVs being not what they should be in many directions, and because they are indeed like arseholes, everybody has one. Thats not the reason for the title, however, looking at that design gives me the shudders, because it is going to collect all the muck rubble and brickshit immaginable and obliterate the number plate and Mr blue bottle will give you an awefully expensive ticket for having it so nicely plastered. LACK of intelligence from the designers. Sorry I wont buy this model, not that I have ever been satisfied with Pugs reliability and falling bits off at alarmingly regular periods

I am hankering after an estate rather than SUV, mainly cos I am sick of SUVs being not what they should be in many directions, and because they are indeed like arseholes, everybody has one. Thats not the reason for the title, however, looking at that design gives me the shudders, because it is going to collect all the muck rubble and brickshit immaginable and obliterate the number plate and Mr blue bottle will give you an awefully expensive ticket for having it so nicely plastered. LACK of intelligence from the designers. Sorry I wont buy this model, not that I have ever been satisfied with Pugs reliability and falling bits off at alarmingly regular periods

What a pile of old whataboutery cobblers. You want an estate, but you'd be put off buying one of these because their rear-ends collect crud?

I am hankering after an estate rather than SUV, mainly cos I am sick of SUVs being not what they should be in many directions, and because they are indeed like arseholes, everybody has one. Thats not the reason for the title, however, looking at that design gives me the shudders, because it is going to collect all the muck rubble and brickshit immaginable and obliterate the number plate and Mr blue bottle will give you an awefully expensive ticket for having it so nicely plastered. LACK of intelligence from the designers. Sorry I wont buy this model, not that I have ever been satisfied with Pugs reliability and falling bits off at alarmingly regular periods

What a pile of old whataboutery cobblers. You want an estate, but you'd be put off buying one of these because their rear-ends collect crud?

I happen to live in St. Petersburg Russia we have aprox 5 months winter ice and snow with the usual sand and crap thrown over it. Just snow alone will block that number plate in 5 mins. The cops here love catching you for that. I had three tickets with the old outlander for this problem. Now have the Octavia saloon and dont suffer as badly. Before you gob off think.